SonoSite And University Of California, Irvine Sign Landmark Agreement To Transform Medical School Training And Education

August 11, 2010

UC Irvine Leadership Takes Medical Education to the Next Level by Integrating an Innovative Ultrasound Program and Curriculum
BOTHELL, WA - August 11, 2010 - SonoSite, Inc. (Nasdaq:SONO), the world leader and specialist in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound, and the University of California, Irvine, announced today that the company and institution have signed an agreement to integrate ultrasound visualization into UC Irvine's four-year medical school curriculum.

Under the terms of this agreement, SonoSite will act as an exclusive ultrasound partner. The collaborative efforts of both UC Irvine and SonoSite will provide medical students with an active and dynamic learning experience that will transform traditional teaching methods used during medical school training. SonoSite's ultrasound systems will enable students to view anatomical structures in real-time and better understand physiological processes. This innovative ultrasound curriculum is setting the standard for other leading medical institutions and providing UC Irvine's students with the skill set and tools to improve medicine.

"Ultrasound visualization tools are transforming medicine and we are excited to partner with SonoSite and pursue the mission of transforming physical diagnosis," said Ralph V. Clayman, MD, Dean of the UC Irvine School of Medicine. "It is imperative that we embrace the evolving digital age and provide students with the ability to become well versed in the latest visualization technology, which will ultimately enable them to better diagnose patients. With full institutional support across core faculty and administration, our relationship with SonoSite clearly demonstrates our commitment to providing our students with the tools they need to enhance their learning experience and better prepare them for 21st century medicine."

"With the power of ultrasound based visual medicine, students will have a learning experience that was unimaginable until now," said Kevin M. Goodwin, SonoSite President and CEO. "UC Irvine is a very progressive institution and we are excited to participate in this innovative curriculum for their medical school students. UC Irvine and SonoSite have a shared vision to improve medical education and ultimately make an impact on healthcare delivery."

"By integrating ultrasound into our curriculum, we are giving students the tools they need to practice modern medicine," said J. Christian Fox, MD, UC Irvine, Director of Instructional Ultrasound "This curriculum is teaching for the future. Sitting in a classroom is passive learning. Reading from a textbook is passive. When you provide students with the opportunity to actually see the anatomy, that's how they will really learn. Students will be able to directly visualize almost any organ, blood vessel, bone, muscle, or tissue in the body. By the end of their four-year medical training, these students' ability to diagnose disease will be unsurpassed by any conventional means of practicing medicine."

"In advance of their residency, this visual learning experience will provide medical students with the knowledge and training to diagnose a myriad of pathologies, increase their proficiency and be armed with the confidence of ultrasound visualization," said Diku Mandavia, MD, SonoSite's Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. "Medical students will be able to understand the human body on a whole new level and appreciate the anatomy and physiology, which will be an important framework for their future clinical decisions."

About SonoSite
SonoSite, Inc. (www.sonosite.com) is the innovator and world leader in bedside and point-of-care ultrasound and an industry leader in ultra high-frequency micro-ultrasound technology and impedance cardiography equipment. Headquartered near Seattle, the company is represented by ten subsidiaries and a global distribution network in over 100 countries. SonoSite's small, lightweight systems are expanding the use of ultrasound across the clinical spectrum by cost-effectively bringing high-performance ultrasound to the point of patient care.

About the UC Irvine School of Medicine
Ranked as one of the top 50 U.S. medical schools for research by U.S. News & World Report, UC Irvines School of Medicine (www.som.uci.edu) is dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and clinical practice through scholarly research, physician education and high-quality care. The medical school nurtures the development of medical students, resident physicians and scholars in the clinical and basic sciences and supports the dissemination of research advances for the benefit of society.